What is biosecurity?

Biosecurity is vital to Australia's food security and food safety. Biosecurity, a fairly new term, involves the exclusion, management and eradication of unwanted pests and diseases. Plant pests can significantly impact Australian growers by reducing yields, lowering the quality of food, increasing production costs and restricting market access.

Our nation's island status protects us from exotic pests and diseases to a certain extent. With more trade occurring faster across state and national borders, new pest, disease and weed threats and the impacts of climate change expected to increase, there is more pressure than ever before on our biosecurity systems.

While Australia has a biosecurity and quarantine system that is the envy of the world, the proximity of our northern neighbours and the sheer volume of trade and people movement means there is no such thing as zero risk. Biosecurity therefore requires government, industry and the community to work together in partnership.

For grain growers, good biosecurity practices at the farm level help protect profits by preventing new pests establishing on farms or spreading to new regions. These farm level activities help the ability of the grains industry to export – every new pest that gains a foothold in Australia has the potential of shutting down a market.